Not in my wildest dreams have I ever dreamt of being a councillor. I was just a normal person who just did my 9 to 5 civil service job and carried on with my life, risk free. I never did anything out of the norm. Then came a day when I realised I should do something for the people around me, give something back to the community, be the change, change the world. That is when I joined a charity and initiated a few Women in need projects which made a huge impact to the women I supported. It was great so see how little things we do make a huge difference in other people’s lives.
I then moved from London to a small growing town of new developments called Northstowe in Cambridge with my husband and my teenage son. It didn’t take me long to settle into the new town and the community. People in the town were so nice and friendly. Since moving, I have been very actively involved in helping build the community, bringing events that are affordable for everyone, motivate people to stay active and help the community together. During lockdown I have conducted numerous zoom meetups on various topics for the community’s well-being and to lift everyone’s spirits up. I also trained 60+ elders in the community to be technically competent and attend events virtually on different platforms. I have conducted cybersecurity events to make people aware of being secure online and also mental health events for the well-being of the community.
When a town or village in UK has 1000+ households a council can be formed. So, when Northstowe town council was established early this year, the new Town council needed 15 councillors but 20 residents applied for it, which meant the town had to have an election. As I was part of so many different committees in the town, I was nominated to stand for the election. It was a completely new experience for me, canvasing that too during a pandemic was challenging. Seeing my name on the ballot paper was my next chapter in my life. I knew I was going to win but to be on the top 5 was heart touching. I was grateful to all the residents of the town who voted for me and to trust me to be their voice at the council.
So here I am as the Town Councillor for Northstowe waiting for the next chapter in my life.
My advice to all the readers is if you have a goal in life go for it. Sky is the limit. Nothing is impossible!
